Meaning of 随手
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- conveniently
- without extra trouble
- while doing it
- in passing
How to use 随手
随手 goes before a verb to show you do something casually as part of another action, often in reminders and signs. A common one is 随手关门 (suíshǒu guān mén), close the door behind you. Another example: 出门时请随手关灯。(Chūmén shí qǐng suíshǒu guān dēng.) Please turn off the lights as you leave.
随 (suí) means to follow, and 手 (shǒu) is the hand. Picture your hand just following along with what you are already doing, so you take care of a small task in passing.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 随手 with 随便 (suíbiàn). 随手 means doing something in passing with no extra effort. 随便 means carelessly or however you like, so 随便关门 does not mean close the door behind you.
随手 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
随 suí · to follow · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
手 shǒu · hand · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 随手.
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 洗手间 | xǐshǒujiān | toilet; lavatory |
| 随便 | suíbiàn | as one wishes; as one pleases |
| 随时 | suíshí | at any time; at all times; at the right time; whenever necessary |
| 手表 | shǒubiǎo | wristwatch |
| 举手 | jǔshǒu | to raise a hand; to put up one's hand (as signal) |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger |
| 对手 | duìshǒu | opponent; rival |
| 选手 | xuǎnshǒu | athlete; contestant |
| 歌手 | gēshǒu | singer |
| 握手 | wòshǒu | to shake hands |
| 手续 | shǒuxù | procedure; formalities |
Questions about 随手
What does 随手 mean?
随手 (suíshǒu) means "conveniently; without extra trouble" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 随手?
随手 is made of 2 characters: 随 (11 strokes), 手 (4 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 随手 an HSK word?
Yes. 随手 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 随手 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 随手 is written 隨手.
What is the difference between 随手 and 顺手 (shùnshǒu)?
They overlap a lot, and both can mean doing something conveniently in passing. 顺手 can also mean smooth or handy to use, as in 这把刀很顺手, this knife is easy to use. 随手 is not used that way.
Can 随手 have a negative meaning?
Yes. It can describe careless habits, as in 不要随手扔垃圾 (bú yào suíshǒu rēng lājī), don't litter casually. The tone depends on the verb that follows it.